So after the hilarity that ensued when Mrs PB discovered we were going to be tromping round damp woodland for a couple of hours before the reserve opened (I only needed a short A&E visit), we entered with gay abandon, and I photographed lots of stuff very far away... the furthest was the moon
But not much closer was a Buzzard (in my defence there had been a rumour that a white tailed eagle had been about the previous couple of days)
And a bit closer still, a pair of youngish swans
A similar distance away, but moving much faster, a Green Woodpecker (honest lol)
Off a little side track was an area where they put feeders, and garden/woodland birds had a food fest, Blue Tit
Dunnock
Chaffinch (I've seen more this year, after the absolute dearth the last 2 years, so not sure if they are recovering slightly. Greenfinch are still noticably absent though.)
Sparra
Robin
Blue Tit
A Crow to represent the Corvids
Great Tit
Mrs PB got bored and wandered off whilst I waited (in vain) for one of the Coal Tits to pause long enough for a picture, so as I went to catch her up, another fidget-bum didn't put me in her good books... (the best of a bad bunch!!)
From the smallest, to one of our biggest...
Back down to earth, with some lovely shininess
And colourfulness
And just loveliness!
Ohhh, remember those warmer, drier days, when there were still some insects about... Migrant Hawker
Not sure whose wig got caught on the barbed wire!
Skylark
Male Migrant Hawker (I think)
And finally a pair of Egyptian Geese
Mrs PB went back to the car after the Goldcrest (the woodland fungi walk took its toll!!), and sent me off on my own, but there were 2 hides I didn't visit so definitely worth a 2nd visit if we're anywhere local in future.
Thanks for reading
Stay Safe All
Ha, very familiar with that species of green woodpecker PB . I saw three a couple of weeks back, they were all close and managed to evade the camera as they flew in the opposite direction... I particularly like your stonechats, buzzard and lapwing.
Great set PB, LOVE the B&W Buzzard shot, they're much rarer too
Lovely additions PB and hope Mrs PB has recovered from the woodland fungi walk; when my brother was over from Australia I took him on one of our favourite walks around Peak District; it was such a muddy start trudging ankle deep I told him we will not go back that way and ended up doing 7 mile circular walk so not to have to retrace through the quagmire ....... he's still never forgiven me
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Regards, Hazel
Cheers Snappy... I saw another Woodpecker, just like that, this week lol
Cheers Scozmos... I liked the original of the Buzzard and thought it would look good monochrome, so playing about in lightroom and voila as they say The trouble with B&W buzzards is they'r so old they don't venture out as often as the colour ones do lol
lol... you're so mean to your family lol